ChemistDirect Health Experts Put the Spotlight on Parkinson’s Disease

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Following the announcement by comic and actor Billy Connolly that he is being treated for Parkinson's disease, the in-house pharmacy team at ChemistDirect offer information and advice about the condition.

Parkinson’s Disease Affects 127,000 People in the UK

There’s currently no cure for Parkinson’s and it’s not yet known why people get the condition, but there are some drugs which can help to manage the symptoms.

(PRWEB UK)7 October 2013

Last month, the Scottish comic and actor Billy Connolly revealed that he was being treated for the initial symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. But what is Parkinson’s and what are the symptoms?

According to Parkinson’s UK, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition, which affects 127,000 people in the UK. (http://bit.ly/16C3RTG)

Ramandeep Sandhu, Pharmacist at ChemistDirect said: “Parkinson’s disease is caused by a loss of brain cells that produce a chemical called dopamine.”

Dopamine acts as a messenger between the brain and the nervous system, and helps to control and co-ordinate body movements. So, when the amount of dopamine is reduced, movements can become slow and abnormal. (http://bit.ly/1741n4I)

Ms Sandhu added: “Movements can appear slower and robotic, and a person’s speech may also be affected in that during a conversation they cannot reply straightaway.”

“There’s currently no cure for Parkinson’s and it’s not yet known why people get the condition, but there are some drugs which can help to manage the symptoms.”

Symptoms can include a tremor when the person is at rest, rigidity of muscles, slowness of movement and unsteady balance. Sufferers can also complain of tiredness, pain, depression and constipation.

However, not everyone will experience all of these symptoms and the order in which they appear, and how they progress varies from person to person.

Other famous faces who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease include actors Bob Hoskins and Michael J Fox.

Anyone who is concerned that they or a relative may be suffering from Parkinson’s disease should make an appointment with their GP.